Man City Crumbles in Liverpool and Guardiola Reveals His Human Side

The ominous Anfield ground shredded Pep’s squad.

The foreboding Anfield hosted Guardiola’s team in a title clash. However, during the press conference, Pep admitted losing the team. According to English media, chaos erupted in the City dressing room after the match against Feyenoord: bottles flew amidst curses, lockers couldn’t withstand the fists of enraged players… Meanwhile, a bewildered Pep sat pensively in his office.

In the first half, the Citizens touched the ball just five (!) times inside Liverpool's penalty box. Hardly surprising — City's transitions out of defense relied on aimless long balls to Haaland. Since when is that their style? It’s likely due to Rodri’s injury and Kovacic’s underwhelming replacement. The Manchester side is exhausted.

Once, José Mourinho revealed why he left the monstrous Inter after their historic treble. Of course, it was for Real Madrid, but also because he realized he had squeezed everything possible out of the team, which needed fresh blood. He was right: Inter only truly recovered 13 years later, reaching the Champions League final — against City, ironically.

Guardiola has been pushing his current squad to its limits for too long. There’s a reason his players have been dubbed a "machine" for the past seven years. Yes, the club continues to make targeted transfers. Still, it hasn’t overhauled its core, most of whom have been relentlessly winning Premier League trophies and the coveted Champions League title.

That makes it even more concerning when City’s “machine” occasionally falters. The team that emerged from the Anfield tunnel looked familiar, but 15 minutes later, it sputtered and eventually stalled altogether. Now, they sit fifth in the Premier League and 17th in the Champions League, with six losses in their last seven matches. It’s the same number of league titles Pep sarcastically flaunted at Liverpool fans — six fingers raised in the air. And that’s truly alarming.

This type of trolling is how Mourinho gradually lost his status as a top-tier coach. What’s scarier is that José’s snark was part of his persona, but Pep’s jab feels desperation. Rumor has it Guardiola extended his contract precisely because of the current crisis — allegedly, he wants to hand his successor a strong team. If that’s true, then he deserves praise. At the very least, he hasn’t been afraid to show his human side: scratched, messy, and perhaps always lurking behind his reflection in the mirror.

Published by Patrick Jane
02.12.2024